Validation of a patient-reported outcome measure for fatigue in patients receiving hemodialysis: the SONG-HD Fatigue instrument

Background: Fatigue is a very common and debilitating symptom and identified by patients as a critically important core outcome to be included in all trials involving patients receiving hemodialysis. A valid, standardized measure for fatigue is needed to yield meaningful and relevant evidence about this outcome. Objectives: To validate a core patient-reported outcome measure (PROM) for fatigue in hemodialysis. Design: A longitudinal cohort study was conducted to assess the validity and reliability of a new fatigue measure (SONG-HD Fatigue).Eligible and consenting patients completed the measure at three time points: baseline, a week later and twelve days following the second time point. Cronbach’s α and Intraclass correlation coefficient were calculated to assess internal consistency and Spearman’s rho was used to assess convergent validity. Confirmatory factor analysis was also conducted.Setting: Hemodialysis units in the United Kingdom, Australia and Romania participated in this study.Participants: Adult patients aged 18 years and over, English-Speaking, and receiving maintenance hemodialysis were eligible to participate.Measurements: SONG-HD Fatigue, visual analogue scale for fatigue, 12-Item Short Form survey, Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue were used.Results: In total, 485 participants completed the study across the United Kingdom, Australia, and Romania. Psychometric assessment demonstrated that the SONG-HD Fatigue is internally consistent (Cronbach’s α =0.81- 0.86) and stable over a one-week period (Intraclass correlation coefficient =0.68-74). The measure demonstrated convergence with Functional Assessment of Chronic Illness Therapy-Fatigue (FACIT-F) and had moderate correlations with other measures that assessed related but not the same concept (12-Item Short Form Survey and Visual Analogue Scale). Confirmatory factor analysis supported the one-factor model. Conclusions: The SONG-HD Fatigue appears to be a reliable and valid measure to be used in trials involving patients receiving hemodialysis. </div

A Core Outcome Set for Trials in Glomerular Disease

Background and objectives Outcomes reported in trials in adults with glomerular disease are often selected with minimal patient input, are heterogeneous, and may not be relevant for clinical decision making. The Standardized Outcomes in Nephrology–Glomerular Disease (SONG-GD) initiative aimed to establish a core outcome set to help ensure that outcomes of critical importance to patients, care partners, and clinicians are consistently reported.Design, setting, participants, and measurements We convened two 1.5-hour workshops in Melbourne, Australia, and Washington, DC, United States. Attendees were identified purposively with 50 patients/care partners and 88 health professionals from 19 countries; 51% were female. Patients and care partners were from the United States, Australia, and Canada, and had experience of a glomerular disease with systemic features (n=9), kidney-limited nephrotic disease (n=9), or other kidney-limited glomerular disease (n=8). Attendees reviewed the results of the SONG-GD Delphi survey and aims of the workshop and then discussed potential core outcomes and their implementation in trials among moderated breakout groups of eight to 12 people from diverse backgrounds. Transcripts of discussions were analyzed thematically.Results Three themes were identified that supported the proposed core outcomes: limiting disease progression, stability and control, and ensuring universal relevance (i.e., applicable across diverse populations and settings). The fourth theme, preparedness for implementation, included engaging with funders and regulators, establishing reliable and validated measures, and leveraging existing endorsements for patient-reported outcomes.Conclusions Workshop themes demonstrated support for kidney function, disease activity, death, life participation, and cardiovascular disease, and these were established as the core outcomes for trials in adults with glomerular disease. Future work is needed to establish the core measures for each domain, with funders and regulators central to the uptake of the core outcome set in trials.</div